*Says dodging the issue was mere face-saving
The Njoku Chita Family of Umuchima has said the press statement issued by the elder brother to the works minister Engr Dave Umahi , Eze Laz Umahi Nweze was face-saving , irresponsible , distractive and not in sync with the allegations and petitions of land grabbing and threat to lives against the minister .
The family in a statement said it is not against the expansion of the Dave Umahi University of Health Sciences and called on the Minister of works Engr Dave Umahi , his elder brother Laz Umahi and the former Health Commissioner in Ebonyi state Dr Umezurike Akuma to address the issues and stop playing to the gallery .
In a statement entitled : RE: Community Backs Expansion of David Umahi University, Clears Minister of Land Grabbing Allegations”, the Njoku family said the publication was an orchestrated plan to change the narrative and create misinformation , adding that the works minister has a responsibility to defend himself and clear the air on the various allegations contained in their petition before President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, The Director of Department of State Services , the Inspector General of Police as well as the National Security Adviser .
The statement said : “The attention of Njoku Chita family have been drawn to the face-saving press release organized by the elder brother Minister David Umahi – Eze Laz Umahi Nweze, claiming that the community was responsible for securing lands in favour of the University.
“As a case in point, we are not against the University expanding its lands, but wonder what interest any group of individuals operating under the guise of community leaders will have in using their personal money to pay for land and give to a federal university.”
The family also accused the works minister of forcefully acquiring the land on which the university was first built , “Even at the onset when the University was conceived and built, the land upon which it was built was forcefully taken by the Governor Umahi.
“Another question to ask the elder brother of Minister Umahi and his former Commissioner for health – Umezurike, including his benefactor Nicholas Odii, is when did the Njoku Chita family ever claimed that their complaint against Umahi was for or on behalf of Umuchima village or Uburu Community? The complaint through our lawyer is personal to us, as the land Umahi is grabbing belongs to us, not Umuchima or Uburu. Anyone can plant their family members and loyalist in places of traditional influence for a time like this and it is obvious that they are all working hard to shield the Minister from his own actions that led to our petition.”
“In any case, we have him on audio where he threatened our family of consequence for not allowing him into our land. We can share this audio with the world.
“Apparently, the Police are incapable of securing our lives as our petition has been abandoned because Umahi is a big man, but we will not give up an inch of our land, unless we are all killed as they apparently plan to do. We are aware of the threat issued by Dr. Umezurike during a meeting they called on Monday and his subsequent trespass into our home that night in an apparent show of force.
“It is a shame that those who claim to be community leaders are all out in defense of a big man who placed them there to do his bidding. Shouldn’t a community leadership aim to embark on customary arbitration to resolve the impasse and ensure that no one losses their ancestral land to an insatiable individual? No, this ones are out to defend the offender.”
It continued ,” If the Umuchima village or Uburu as a Community, under this leadership appointed by Umahi has any land to give to the University, they are free to do so. Instead of deceiving people into giving up their lands and giving them stipends through a privately owned company named Black Legend Technologies Ltd. Why should a community buy land in the name of a private company?
“All the people cannot be stupid at the same time.
“Finally, none of us is a politician and we have no political interest whatsoever. Therefore, attempting to paint our legitimate concern as “politically motivated” is disingenuous as our land is not a political property.”
The family further accused Eze Laz Umahi, elder brother to the works minister , the former Health Commissioner Dr Umezurike Akuma and their Kingsmen of plots hatched at a meeting convened by the Eze to use thugs and take over their ancestral land .
They particularly accused Dr Umezurike of providing the strategies and volunteering to lead the mop operation on their ancestral land .
In his response over the alleged invasion , the former Health Commissioner during the Dave Umahi reign as Ebonyi state Governor denied leading thugs to the Njoku family land saying ,” I was there personally . What happened was we want to start clearing the areas that are not in contention and I was there to show them these areas and not to take their land”.
On his part , Engr Umahi’s elder brother , Eze Laz Umahi Nweze earlier turned down a request for his response as the convener of the meeting where strategies were allegedly mapped out against the Njoku family land but moments after he replied through WhatsApp : ” Good morning dear. I am HRH Eze Laz Umahi. I am from Uburu Ancient Kingdom in Ohaozara LGA of Ebonyi State.
“You called me on phone earlier this morning, making inquiry about a meeting Ndi-Uburu held in its Multipurpose Hall few days ago. I have drawn the attention of my Attorney to the interaction I had with you and he asked me to go ahead and help you with whatever information you need regarding the referenced meeting.
“Let’s do it either of these two ways to avoid misrepresentation: Send a questionnaire to me on the information you need.
“Alternatively, if you’d prefer i provide a written statement, that too can works.
“Please let me know how you’d like us to proceed.
Best Regards.”
Barely hours after the Eze addressed a press conference which read in parts: “The people of Uburu community, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have supported the acquisition of more lands for the expansion of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Science(DUFUHS).
“In a communique signed by leaders of the host community, HRH Lazarus Umahi, Chief Shedrack Onu and Chief Odi Nicholas Enyi, the community said the expansion of the university was a collective agreement of the host community which was endorsed by the Uburu traditional rulers council.”
